Land of the Black Rain
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: The Dragon Eye leads Hiccup and the other riders to a desert island, home of the Black Rains: venomous dragons, whose venom can kill a full-grown dragon in a matter of minutes. What will happen? Will they survive the wrath of the dragons, or will the Black Rains kill them all? *Super duper minor spoilers for Race to the Edge*
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So, I have only seen the first two episodes of Race to the Edge as of now, so please no one spoil anything! I just got so much inspiration while watching the new series and I just HAD to write this! It's not a one-shot, and I'll try to update tomorrow, but no promises. I might wait until July 1st to update (July 1st is when my hiatus ends), but probably not. It really depends on how many of you want me to continue quickly. :D So, enjoy! :D**

 **Oh, and there will be lots of sweet Hiccstrid in this fanfiction, so be on the look out for that, too! :D Bye!**

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Hiccup had never felt better.

Finding the Dragon Eye was excitement enough, but then learning about the maps that the mysterious object kept hidden was even more fascinating, and he loved fascinating. More than that, though. He liked having his friends back. He liked things being the way they used to be, when it was just him and the riders and the academy and no one else.

Besides, new species of dragon were around every corner, and if that wasn't enough to excite someone, than Hiccup didn't know what was.

"Are you _sure_ this is the right way, Hiccup?" Astrid called to him. "All I see is ocean."

"Yeah!" Ruffnut agreed. "Ocean!"

"Yeah, and all we _see_ is the _sea_ ," Tuffnut said. "Heh heh heh."

Hiccup, although the twins were beyond obnoxious, couldn't help but smile. They hadn't changed very much. In appearance, yes, but not in stupidity.

"I'm sure, Astrid," Hiccup called back. "We need to keep going North, and we should be there in a few-"

"There!" Snotlout shouted, pointing ahead of them wildly. Hookfang dipped and nearly flung Snotlout off his back. If Snotlout noticed it, he made no move to signify that he did. "I saw it first!" Snotlout cheered. "Haaah! Snotlout wins again!"

Ruffnut scowled and rolled her eyes.

"Well, we're the first to be second to see the island, so _we_ win!" Tuffnut shot back.

Hiccup looked; there it was. The island, looking very much like a desert. The air grew hotter as they flew on towards it, and although it wasn't extremely worrisome, it was at least enough to raise concern if they hadn't brought proper resources. "Fishlegs!" he called, flying Toothless alongside the boy and his Gronckle, "do we have the provisions I asked you to bring?"

Fishlegs nodded. "We've got water and tents," he said, "just like you told me to get."

"Thanks, Fishlegs!" Hiccup shouted back. He was glad Fishlegs hadn't forgotten, and that he could rely on Fishlegs to do exactly what he asked him to. If he asked Snotlout or the twins, they wouldn't have listened.

Toothless darted through the clouds, flying in front of the other riders. "Okay, gang!" Hiccup called to the rest of the dragon riders. "We're here to explore! If we find any new species of dragons, no one mess with them! We don't know what they're capable of!"

"Got it!" Astrid and Fishlegs shouted in unison.

"Or," Tuffnut said, "we can get near them, and use Ruffnut as a human shield!"

Ruffnut growled angrily and reached over, punching Tuffnut's shoulder so hard he almost fell off his dragon's head. "Ouch! My shoulder!" Tuffnut yowled. "Hey, that's new...I like it!"

"Okay, we're coming in to land," Hiccup said. "Watch your dragons, and easy does it!"

They landed on the desert island, the dragons' legs sinking into the sand. Hiccup and the other riders dismounted, taking in their surroundings.

Nothing but an occasional palm tree and lots of sand. There were dips in the dunes where Hiccup assumed an occasional oasis could be found, along with lots of jagged rocks and boulders.

"Well," Snotlout said, "this is _boring_. I don't even see any wild dragons."

He was ignored by the others, who began walking forward with their dragons by their sides. They came to one of the waterholes and peered down into it.

And there were dragons. Seven of them, to be exact. They looked odd for a desert creature; instead of being a sandy color they could use for hiding against other predators, they were a bright green with spiderwebs of purple, blue, red and yellow racing across their bodies. Their tails started out bit, and narrowed until they were whip-thin at the ends of them.

"Whoa," Tuffnut breathed. "That is _sooooooo_ cool! I want to pet one."

"Nobody touches them until we know what they are," Hiccup said. "Fishlegs, any insight? Were these dragons mentioned at all in the book of dragons?"

"Once, actually," Fishlegs said. "They were labeled as 'Mystery Class' and 'Rare'. According to the book, they're called Black Rain."

"Whoa," Tuffnut breathed yet a second time. "Now I _really_ want to pet one."

"I wouldn't think so actually, Tuffnut," Fishlegs warned. "They have venom that they can spit from their mouth - that's where they got their name, 'Black Rain'. Their venom is deadly, and is said to melt the flesh off your bones."

"How was _this_ helpful information?" Astrid questioned.

"Well, it would help if we stayed away from the venom," Fishlegs said reasonably.

"Yeah, I got that," Hiccup said under his breath. "Alright, what else do we know about them?"

"Well, the females lay their eggs in the same place every time," Fishlegs said. "They don't have separate nests. They share one big one."

"But how would they know whether or not they're related and can mate?" Astrid asked.

"That's another thing their venom is helpful for," Fishlegs said. He sounded abnormally excited about the entire affair. "Here. Look, looklooklooklook! They're doing something!"

They looked downwards as an eighth Black Rain flew into the oasis. It opened its mouth and spat black venom onto a rock; another Black Rain did the same. The venom burned faster, and the dragons looked excited.

"If it burns faster," Fishlegs explained in his "let's-be-logical" voice, "then it means that they aren't related and can mate. If the venom stops burning, it means that they're related."

"Huh," Tuffnut said. "That's very...um…"

"Fascinating?" Hiccup offered.

"Um...what's the _opposite_ of fascinating?" Tuffnut asked.

"Wait," Astrid nudged Hiccup's shoulder, "look. Another dragon's coming towards them."

Hiccup looked down at where Astrid had pointed to, and sure enough, she was right. It was a Deadly Nadder, its flying lopsided and pupils dilated. It was unnaturally scrawny and sickly and flew as if it were tripping over mere air.

"That thing looks-" Snotlout started.

"Shh," Hiccup ordered. "Watch."

The Nadder landed beside the oasis of water and collapsed instantly. It crawled forward, towards the water, and towards the Black Rains.

The Black Rains turned to the Nadder and hissed warningly, but the sickly dragon didn't back down. As soon as it refused to be moved, the Black Rains roared in fury and opened their mouths.

"Oh, please don't tell me they're gonna-" FIshlegs began. "I can't watch this!" he whimpered, covering Meatlug's eyes and closing his own. The other riders put their hands over their own dragon's eyes as well to shield them from what they knew was going to happen.

The Black Rains spat black acid, and it soared through the air like raindrops. It splashed onto the Nadder's scales, some of it on its back and some of it landing on its legs.

The reaction was instant. The Nadder roared and shrieked, jumping to its feet and stumbling about helplessly. It dove into the oasis, but it didn't get the venom off. The black splotches sank into the dragon's scales and spread through more of them, marching, fast and unstoppable, towards the dragon's heart.

"Hiccup," Astrid tried. "There has to be something we can do."

Hiccup looked sick, and he shook his head violently. "No," he whispered, bowing his head. "I...I don't...I don't think so. It's too late. Look, the venom hit its heart...oh Thor, this is..." He turned his head away and shut his eyes tightly.

Nearly five minutes passed before the Nadder collapsed.

It didn't move again, and Hiccup was at the conclusion that if they didn't get out of there quick and without being spotted by the Black Rains, they would end up like the poor Nadder.


	2. Chapter 2

**HELLO HELLO, GUYS! So, here's chapter 2...you know, I'm having WAY too much fun writing this right now, so...YES. I hope you guys enjoy chapter 2 and don't get _tooooooo_ mad at me for the dreaded cliffhanger at the end. OOPS WAS THAT OUT LOUD? XD Enjoy chapter 2! :D **

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The Nadder's body steamed, smoke rising from its limbs. Even though the creature was dead, the venom didn't stop, spreading along the dragon's face. Its mouth was open in a shriek, and its claws were twisted in pain.

It was a horrible sight to behold, and the others looked away. The Black Rains were dangerous creatures, and none of them thought they wanted to ever see one again after this.

"That's awful," Astrid said at long last. "Is there any way to stop the venom, Fishlegs?"

"Not that I know of, no," Fishlegs said. "These dragons are fascinating, but...but I really think we should go."

"Alright, agreed," Hiccup said instantly. "But first, are there any other things about these dragons we can put in the book as a warning? Or a _what to look for_ type of thing, just so no one else comes here and gets…" He hesitated, looking back at the Nadder's body. "...Venomed," Hiccup decided.

Fishlegs shook his head. "I think if we put 'Black Rains have magic death spit that will kill in a matter of minutes, no cure' in the book of dragons, no one will bother them," he reasoned. "I really want to go now. Please?"

Hiccup stood, as did the others around him, keeping as silent as possible so they didn't alert the Black Rains of their presence. "You're right, come on," Hiccup whispered. "We shouldn't stay here."

Snotlout nodded. "Right," he said shakily. "Yes, leave. Not that I'm scared or anything. It's just hot and it's getting late. See? Late. Hot. Sun. Leave. _Right now_. Please?"

"Right, good plan," Hiccup said. "Okay, but we need to be quiet. We can't let the Black Rains know we're here…" He looked around them wildly, suddenly realizing with a pinch of terror that Ruffnut and Tuffnut were no where to be found. "Guys," Hiccup said, "where are Ruff and Tuff?"

They instantly feared the worst, and in truth, they were right to, for when they looked back down at the Black Rains, they saw Ruffnut and Tuffnut trying to approach them from behind, their hands outstretched.

"Oh, well that's productive," Hiccup grumbled. "We have to find a way to get them away from the Black Rains before the Black Rains learn they're there."

It was too late, though. One of the Black Rains turned around, saw the twins, and roared directly in their faces. Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked more awed than anything, which meant that they weren't going to run.

"Astrid," Hiccup began, "we need a distraction or they'll be killed."

"Alright," Astrid said. "What are you thinking for a distraction?"

"Well, do you know how sometimes I have really brilliant ideas?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah," Astrid nodded.

"Well, this isn't one of them," Hiccup said. Without another word, he turned and raced into the oasis, waving his hands wildly. "LOOK AT ME, I'M A DISTRACTION!" he shouted at the Black Rains. Four of the eight dragons turned and ran in his direction, and he bolted away. "HELP THE TWINS!" he shouted at Fishlegs, Snotlout and Astrid. While the others raced towards Ruffnut and Tuffnut with the dragons behind them, Toothless ran to help Hiccup.

Hookfang and Meatlug attacked one of the Black Rains, pinning it beneath them, their claws at its neck so that it couldn't spit its deadly poison. The dragon roared and flailed its wings about, but neither of the dragons let go.

At length, they released the Black Rain, and it sped off in the other direction, away from them.

One down, seven to go.

Barf and Belch scooped Ruffnut and Tuffnut out of the way just before Black Rain venom splashed where they were once standing. Astrid bashed one of the dragons with the flat of her axe, and it retreated.

They weren't much of fighters, and for that, they were grateful.

Two down, six to go.

Stormfly shot spines at two Black Rains, and they reared back, but did not run away. They opened their mouths to shoot venom, and just as they did so, Hiccup ran in front of Astrid's dragon and put his shield forward.

The venom splashed onto the shield, but did not melt through the metal.

"Hey!" Hiccup called. "It doesn't work on metal! Their venom is useless against metal! That's the weakness! Use whatever metal you can to block their venom! If it touches you, you're dead!"

The others didn't argue with him. Astrid drew her axe and put it in front of her as another Black Rain shot venom at her. Sure enough, Hiccup was right. The venom splashed harmlessly off the axe, and Astrid couldn't help but grin.

Toothless plasma blasted another Black Rain, and the dragon didn't think twice before spreading its wings and launching itself into the sky.

Three down, five to go.

Barf and Belch came back and twisted their heads around a Black Rain's neck. Ruffnut and Tuffnut bashed the Black Rain's head with bludgeons, and the dragon crumpled to the ground, stood up in a daze, and shot into the sky after its companions.

Four down, four to go.

Between Hiccup's shield and Astrid's axe, along with Stormfly and Toothless giving them all the backup they could possibly want, two more Black Rains fled in terror. Toothless and Stormfly fired everything they had up at them, just to make sure they didn't try to come back for more.

The two Black Rains that remained were more stubborn than the first six, however, and they were quick on their feet, nimble in every way, skillfully avoiding the fire of the other dragons as if they had done it a million times.

"They're showing intelligence!" Hiccup called.

"I _hate it_ when they do that!" Snotlout yelled, jumping out of the way of a bucket's worth of black venom. "Can you at least tell me why they do that!?"

"Maybe because it's cooler?" Fishlegs offered.

"NOT NOW, FISHLEGS!" Hiccup shouted.

Astrid ran for one of the Black Rains, her axe raised over her head. Stormfly and the other dragons and riders were trying to get rid of the other one, and she decided that she could take this one alone.

But the dragon swung its tail and knocked the axe right out of her grip. It embedded in the sand, too far away for her to reach it.

She backed away from the Black Rain, and it growled. She was defenseless, and it was coming straight at her. It flared its wings and opened its mouth. Astrid could see the black venom building up, and she froze.

"ASTRID!" Hiccup shouted to the left of her. He dropped what he was doing, leaving Snotlout with his shield, and raced towards her.

She saw everything in slow motion: she held her hands out to him desperately and screamed, "Hiccup, no!" but he didn't stop. He shoved her roughly, knocking her to the ground, putting himself where she had once stood…

...and Astrid saw it clearly.

The black venom shot through the air, and splashed on Hiccup's arm.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey hey hey, ladies and gentlemen! Wow, you guys are amazing! SO many encouraging reviews! They make me want to update more. ;) Thank you to all who read, fav, follow, or review! I hope you enjoy chapter 3! :D**

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"HICCUP!" Astrid screamed, racing towards him.

"Astrid, stop!" Snotlout yelled. "Stop! The Black Rains are still there! ASTRID!"

She didn't stop. She didn't care if she got hit by venom or not. She wasn't going to leave Hiccup alone, dying.

The Black Rain that hit Hiccup roared at Astrid, but before she could even try to defend herself, Toothless pounced it and pinned it to the ground, his claws on the dragon's throat threateningly. The Night Fury roared in fury, right in the dragon's face, and the Black Rain didn't struggle. It would have been pointless anyway.

Hookfang, Meatlug, Stormfly and Barf and Belch pinned the second Black Rain down while Astrid and the other riders raced towards Hiccup.

For a fleeting moment, Astrid thought that maybe, just maybe, she had seen it wrong, and the Black Rain venom had missed him.

Until he tried to sit up.

"Ow, that hurts," he moaned quietly, grabbing his arm. And then Astrid saw it: part of his sleeve had been melted away by the venom, and now, Astrid could see the venom spreading through his skin, black splotches dancing across his arm. "Ow, oww, hat _really_ hurts," Hiccup whimpered.

"Hiccup," Astrid gasped, grabbing him roughly. She didn't know how they got there, but the next moment, she was cradling him. She wanted to say a million things, but the only thing she could choke out was, "Don't die."

Hiccup's breathing was labored. "I'm...um…" he swallowed thickly before continuing, "open to suggestions." His voice trailed off into a shrieking scream, and the others panicked.

"Do you think he's in pain?" Ruffnut asked worriedly.

" _ **DOES IT LOOK LIKE HE'S IN PAIN!?"**_ Astrid screamed. The others jumped, and apologizing never once came into Astrid's mind. " **DO SOMETHING!"** she screamed in a voice so loud she thought her own ears might pop. " **GET IT OFF HIM!"** She tore off what was left of Hiccup's sleeve and attempted to wipe the venom off him, but it had already burned into his skin, and was spreading at an alarming rate. Touching the burns only made Hiccup scream louder.

"Don't die!" Astrid pleaded with him. "Don't die, Hiccup, please! Why is it spreading so fast!? Someone help me!"

"There's nothing to be done, Astrid!" Fishlegs cried, sounding as though he was either near tears, or already crying. "I'm sorry!"

"No, wait," Hiccup choked, grabbing Astrid's forearm in a death grip. He had her attention instantly, her blue, terrified eyes meeting his green, pain-filled ones. "Mates. Venom. Stops, poison…" He screeched again and shut his eyes, his short fingernails digging into her skin.

"What do we do!?" Fishlegs shrieked while Astrid tried to make sense of what Hiccup had croaked out. Mates? Venom? Stops poison?...

Wait a minute.

 _Wait a minute._

Astrid remembered what Fishlegs had said, about what the dragons did to find out whether or not they were related to another Black Rain: they spit their venom together. If it burned faster, it meant that they were not related. If they were related, however, it stopped burning.

Would the same thing work on human flesh?

Astrid decided that _anything_ was worth a try.

"Fishlegs!" Astrid shouted. "Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut! Get to the other Black Rain! See if it's related to the one that hurt Hiccup!"

"But what will that-" Snotlout began.

"DO IT NOW, SNOTLOUT!" Astrid yelled at the top of her lungs. "NOW, SNOTLOUT! HURRY! I THINK I KNOW HOW WE CAN SAVE HICCUP!"

They raced off without another word. Hookfang pinned the dragon beneath him by the neck, venom dripping from its teeth and burning through the ground. The Black Rain that Toothless was pinning was also forced to spit venom onto the spot where the other one had spat.

It was a chance in a million, maybe, that the venom stopped burning, but Astrid saw it as a miracle and decided to be thankful for it. She looked down at Hiccup. The black splotches were marching up his arm, almost to his shoulder.

"It's related to the other one, Astrid!" Snotlout shouted to her. "What do we do now!?"

"Bring some of its venom over here!" Astrid ordered. "Put it on Hiccup's arm!"

"Are you _craz-"_ Snotlout began.

"DO IT!" Astrid screeched. They were running out of time. As it was, Hiccup was shivering and twitching and jerking restlessly, sometimes screaming and sometimes moaning. They didn't have time. Hiccup didn't have time.

They used Snotlout's helmet and forced the Black Rain to spit venom into it before rushing back to Hiccup and Astrid. Astrid took the helmet, held her breath, and carefully - ever so carefully - poured the venom on the black splotches shooting across Hiccup's arm.

The reaction was instant, and not exactly what the others had hoped for. Hiccup thrashed and screamed bloody murder to the point where it was nearly impossible to keep still.

"HOLD HIM DOWN, HOLD HIM DOWN!" Astrid shouted at the others, who instantly ran to do as she had commanded them. Snotlout and Fishlegs pinned his legs while Astrid grabbed both of his wrists with one of her hands, her other arm holding his head.

"You're okay, Hiccup!" she cried as he kept struggling. "You're okay! We're helping you!" She didn't feel very much like she was helping him, though. She felt like she had been the one hurting him. In a way, it was partially her fault. Her pride had gotten the better of her, and she tried to face the Black Rain alone. Now, Hiccup was the one suffering for it.

She was angry at herself. Why couldn't she just _move out of the way_ in time before Hiccup ran in to save her? He never would have gotten hurt if she'd done that.

At long last, after what felt like forever, the venom stopped burning. By the time Hiccup finally stopped thrashing, Astrid had tears streaming down her face. It hurt her to see him in pain. It felt as though some part of her were being viciously torn in half of stabbed with a white-hot sword.

"Did it work!?" Snotlout said breathlessly, finally stepping away from them. "Did it work!? Hiccup!?"

Hiccup had finally passed out, his features slack and his body limp in Astrid's arms. Astrid pressed her ear against Hiccup's chest and waited, hardly daring to breathe.

His heartbeat was thready, but it was there beyond a doubt. Her tears only fell faster.

"It worked," she sobbed. "He's okay." She couldn't believe it: her crazy idea actually worked. It actually worked, and it saved Hiccup's life. She didn't know if the black marks on his arm would ever go away, but it didn't matter. He was still Hiccup, burns or not. She ignored her friends as they stood motionless in a small semi-circle around her and Hiccup, insted focusing only on the unconscious boy in her arms.

"You're okay," she said, almost silently, stroking his hair gently, even though he was unconscious and couldn't hear anything she was saying or feel anything she was doing. It was more of a reassurance for herself more than anything, when she really thought about it.

"You're okay," she whispered. "You're okay…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys! I don't think it's going to be much longer...a few more chapters, probably. I'm mainly setting this up for a Hiccstrid chapter in the end. ;)**

 **So, I watched "Imperfect Harmony", "When Darkness Falls" and "Big Man on Berk" from Race to the Edge so far! Hopefully I can watch more sometime...I'll probably end up doing some what-ifs. I like what-ifs. I WANT MORE HICCSTRID! LOTS OF HICCSTRID! ALL THE HICCSTRID! :D**

 **Anyways, enjoy chapter 4!**

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"We have to set up camp here," Snotlout said; he was the first one to speak up since Astrid quieted, bent over Hiccup's chest. She was still whispering things to him, telling him that he was alright and that he was safe, but her voice was barely audible and very quiet.

"Wait," Fishlegs gasped. "Set up camp...here? With _them?"_ He pointed at the Black Rains, who the dragons were slowly stepping off and letting free. The angry, venomous dragons hissed at Toothless and the others before flying off, never looking back even once. "They could come back," Fishlegs said. "And they could have friends."

"But it took us hours to get here," Snotlout said. "And it's already almost dark. Hiccup can't fly Toothless, and flying in the middle of the night is dangerous, even if Hiccup _was_ awake."

"He's not doing anything," Astrid growled. The others looked at her, and she looked back down at Hiccup. "Not until he's rested." Any color was drained from his face, and he was still limp, his chest rising and falling shakily, his heartbeat still weak and sounding unhealthy. She didn't want him to get worse, especially not after everything he just went through.

"She's right, see?" Snotlout said, looking back at Fishlegs briefly before turning to Astrid once more. "Um, what do you suggest we do now, Astrid?" he asked.

Astrid sighed. Although Snotlout was always eager to take the lead, he was lost when it came on the actual things he had to do that came with being a leader. "We'll set up the tents and keep careful watch in case any Black Rains come back," Astrid said firmly. "Or, we'll get the dragons to watch for us, it doesn't matter. If we see any Black Rains in a flock that we can't fight, we'll have to move to a different oasis close by and re-set camp. Fishlegs, start on the tents. Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, help Fishlegs with whatever he needs help with."

They nodded and instantly left to do what she had told them to. She stayed with Hiccup, afraid to leave him for fear of him getting worse, or his heart stopping. She didn't honestly think his heart would stop, but at the same time…

Well, she didn't want to risk it happening.

By the time they had the tents set up, it was dark. Hiccup stirred once or twice for just a moment before he was dead to the world once again, and although Astrid was worried for his sake, she was glad he was resting. He needed all the rest he could get if he was going to recover.

"We're ready, Astrid," Fishlegs said as he approached her, looking worried as he glanced at Hiccup. "Camp is all set. I...I think I'm going to take the first watch." He swallowed thickly. "But...um...what do I do if Black Rains attack?"

"Why won't Snotlout take the first watch?" Astrid asked. She knew how terrified Fishlegs was of everything, and putting him as the first watch probably wasn't the best idea in the world.

"Snotlout's already asleep," Fishlegs said. "He said he needs lots of sleep to keep up his 'warrior reputation'."

"So, in other words," Astrid said, "he was tired."

"Well, to be blatant, yes," Fishlegs said.

Astrid sighed. "I'll stay up with you," she said.

"Oh," Fishlegs said. "R-really? I mean, I don't want you to feel like you have to if you don't want to-"

"No, I'm going to stay up with Hiccup, anyways," Astrid said. "It'll be fine. Don't worry about it. You just need to keep an eye out. We never know when or if the Black Rains will attack, and how many of them there will be if they do."

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea," Fishlegs said uneasily.

Astrid nodded. "Alright," she said. "Here, help me carry him. Watch his head." Between her and Fishlegs, they managed to get Hiccup into an empty tent: Astrid's tent, to be exact. Toothless and Stormfly curled up in front of it, their eyes wide open and scanning their surroundings for any Black Rains.

"I'll get some more of the supplies," Fishlegs offered, and instantly raced outside once again. He returned with a rolled cloak, which they used to pillow Hiccup's head with. "That's all we've got," Fishlegs said. "We have some water, but really, we don't have much more than that." He twiddled his fingers nervously. "How is he?" he asked.

"I can't tell," Astrid admitted. "He could be better...he could be worse. I don't think there's a way to tell...until he wakes up." Honestly, she didn't know what side effects the Black Rain poison had, if any. Hopefully, none, if they were lucky.

Fishlegs nodded. "Alright," he said. "I'll...I'll be outside." He left slowly, dragging his feet in obvious unexcitement.

Astrid sighed. How had she let it come to this? How? Just _how?_ Why? And to Hiccup of all people. It should have been her, the more she thought about it. She wished it had been her. She didn't want to see Hiccup hurt. She never, ever wanted to see Hiccup hurt.

"Hey."

She looked down at Hiccup. His eyes were cracked open, but they were tired and confused. He blinked at her twice, and she blinked back.

"Hey yourself," she said, her voice never rising above a whisper. "How are you feeling?"

"I've...I've been better," Hiccup admitted. "I've been a lot better, but...but it's...it's not that bad. Um...what happened?" He looked at his surroundings briefly before shifting his gaze back to Astrid. "I feel like I missed something."

"How much do you remember?" Astrid asked.

"N-not much," Hiccup said. "I...I remember you asking me not to die, but that...that was about it. Oh, and...and I think I said something about...the venom...am I dead?"

"No," Astrid said firmly. "No, you're not dead."

Hiccup sighed. "Ah, relief," he murmured. "Sweet relief. I...I didn't think I was going to survive that one."

Astrid's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Of course you knew the thing about the poison before you pushed me out of the way...didn't you?"

Hiccup shook his head. "It...it just kinda came to me," he said. "But no, I didn't...I didn't think about...about my own safety…"

Astrid was appalled. " _Why?"_ she blurted.

"Because," Hiccup started, but then his voice trailed off, and his eyelids fluttered. "Because...because...cause…" He was asleep again an instant later, and Astrid sighed.

She would have to talk to him about it later, maybe after they got back to Berk.

For now, the most important thing was getting Hiccup to rest.

And keeping an eye out for any Black Rains, of course.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey hey hey, lovely readers! 'Tis I, BeyondTheClouds777, here to...well, do what I do best! :D UPDATE, BABY, WHHEEEEHEEEEEE! :D :D :D I LOVE RACE TO THE EDGE SOOOOOOOOO MUCH! IT'S SOOOOOOOO BRILLIANT! :D**

 **So, as a little bit of a warning, there are some _teeny tiny_ spoilers for said show, but I've really only seen the first five episodes, so there aren't many major things that would give away episode endings or spoil anything too big, so...**

 **YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. :D Anyways, enjoy chapter 5! And so everyone knows, the Black Rains were partially inspired by a dragon in this other book I was reading a while back called "Wings of Fire", and the dragon they're inspired by is the "RainWing." But I changed quite a few things about it, so, ya. :) Thanks for all the reviews and everything, guys! You're all amazing! :D Enjoy chapter 5!**

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"Astrid, you can't keep forcing water down his throat," Fishlegs scolded worriedly as he peeked into the tent at Hiccup and Astrid. Astrid, who was holding a water canteen to Hiccup's pale lips, and Hiccup, who was either sleeping or unconscious. "We don't know how much his body can take, Astrid."

Astrid sighed. "He's going to get dehydrated," she pointed out. "Unless we make sure he's getting enough water in his system, of course, which I plan to do." It had been a few hours since Hiccup last woke up, and since then, he hadn't been rousable. She was at the conclusion that he had passed out again because his body was using all of its strength to try and heal his arm as best as possible, and it was making him weak because of it. She understood that, really, she did, but that didn't keep her from worrying. If anything, it made it worse.

"But Astrid," Fishlegs said, "if you keep forcing water into his system when his system isn't strong enough, he'll throw it up, and _then_ he'll be _really_ dehydrated. We need to wait until we get back to Berk. It shouldn't be too much longer now before we can move."

He left before Astrid had time to respond to what he had said, and she sighed. She was worried about Hiccup. She couldn't help but be worried about him. She wanted to talk to him, to ask him why he was willing to die to save her, and as of now, he was sleeping heavily. She didn't know if she wanted to wake him, even if she could. She knew he needed rest, but at the same time, she also wanted to talk to him. She needed to talk to him.

She sighed, guessing that it would have to wait until he was feeling up to it.

They took shifts throughout the night: first, Fishlegs took the watch, then, Snotlout, and then, the twins (who needed heavy supervision by Toothless and the other dragons), and then after that, the dragons took to keeping watch in place of Astrid, who refused to leave Hiccup's side should he wake up in pain.

They all went to see Hiccup at some point that night. Snotlout even looked worried, although he would never admit it out loud. He asked how Hiccup was doing and left to continue his shift. Ruffnut and Tuffnut's shift went nearly the same way, only they (oddly enough) apologized for being stupid and getting the Black Rains on their heels. Astrid couldn't tell whether or not they were being serious, but she told them that she forgave them either way and that they would have to apologize to Hiccup as well when he was feeling better.

As the night wore on, Hiccup stirred once or twice, but didn't wake. Astrid didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Nearly five hours later, the sun rose. Snotlout and the twins were ready by the time the sun was in the sky, and Astrid decided that they had to wake Hiccup, whether she wanted to or not.

She hoped he woke up, or else, there was no telling how much longer they would be on that island. "Hiccup," she whispered, shaking his shoulder firmly. For a fleeting moment, nothing happened, and Astrid feared the worst, but then, his eyes opened, and he regarded her drowsily.

"Astrid?" he breathed. "What...where?"

"We're going home," Astrid said. "But…" Oh, she hated telling him that he had to fly Toothless, especially when she thought of how exhausted he looked, but it was unavoidable. "You need to fly Toothless," she said at length. "It's the only way. Do you think you can?"

Hiccup paused a moment before nodding shakily. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I think I can." He tried to rise to a stand, but wasn't able to do it without Astrid helping him. She took his good arm and pulled it over her shoulder, around her neck, putting her other arm securely around his waist. Even then, he could barely stay standing, leaning against her heavily.

She didn't mind, though. It's not like he weighed very much in the first place, and even if he did, she was strong enough to help him.

"Whoa, whoa, okay," she said slowly as more of his weight shifted towards her. "Alright, let's take this nice and slow." Slowly but surely, she led him outside, where Snotlout and the twins were taking down the tents (with Fishlegs' help, mostly).

"Um...what does this thing go to?" Tuffnut questioned, holding up a pointy stick.

"That," Fishlegs said, "is a twig, and it is not part of our camp."

"Hey," Tuffnut said warningly, "I don't tell you how to live _your_ life."

Toothless bounded up to Hiccup and Astrid, sniffing Hiccup worriedly. "Hey, bud," Hiccup said, running a shaking hand over the dragon's head. He winced from using his bad arm, but made no other move to signify he was in pain. "Yeah, it's good to see you too, buddy."

Toothless cooed and nuzzled Hiccup's chest, and Hiccup laughed softly. "Yeah, I know you were worried," Hiccup said. "I'm sorry, bud."

Toothless crouched low to the ground, and Astrid helped Hiccup slide onto the Night Fury's back. She jumped up behind him to keep Hiccup upright. "How much longer until we're ready to leave?" Astrid called to the others.

"We're ready now," Snotlout said, stuffing some things into Hookfang's saddlebag and jumping on said dragon's back. "Let's go home."

Astrid nodded, and the other riders mounted their dragons as well. "Hiccup," she said, "if you think you need to stop at any time, just let us know, and we'll land somewhere and rest, alright?"

"Okay," Hiccup said, "but I think I'll be alright. It's...just a few hours, right?" He frowned as if realizing how long "a few hours" could have been. "Alright, I'll let you know," he said.

Astrid nodded. "We ready?" she called to the other riders. This was odd, taking Hiccup's place as being the leader of the group, but Astrid really didn't mind. She was happy to help him, especially after all he was willing to go through for her.

"Ready," the others said in response, and the dragons launched themselves into the air. Astrid shouted to Stormfly to follow them, and the Nadder did so without so much of a second thought, following them through the sky, away from the Black Rains and the desert island.

They were going home.

Blissfully unaware of the two, venomous dragons watching them from below, spreading their wings, and flying after them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, ALL you people! Great to see you all again! I hope you guys liked the last chapter and don't hate me for the cliffhanger too much...well, hey, I like cliffhangers, if you guys couldn't already tell that much. :D XD So, I hope you guys like chapter 6! I just watched "Gone Gustav Gone" and "Reign of Fireworms." Probably two of my favorite "Race to the Edge episodes so far." I was laughing SO HARD, especially in "Reign of Fireworms." :D**

 **Anyways, enough of my incessant rambling! :D On with chapter 6! :D**

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"How much longer do you think it'll be before we reach Berk?" Astrid called to Fishlegs. They had been flying for roughly an hour, and so far, there had been no signs of sea stacks or islands at all. It was all ocean beneath them, which was slightly worrisome.

"Ten minutes less than the _last_ time you asked him," Snotlout said from across of her. Astrid sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, Snotlout was right. Astrid had been asking Fishlegs how much longer the trip would last nearly every ten minutes.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I'm just worried."

"We know you are, Astrid!" Fishlegs called back to her. He didn't sound angry or upset with her for being bothered, and Astrid was thankful for that much, at least. "We're _all_ worried about Hiccup right now! We'll be home soon!"

Astrid groaned mentally. She wished they could have just gone back to Dragon's Edge, at least until Hiccup built up some more strength, but they didn't have proper healing supplies there. And besides, Gothi was the best healer ever known. She would know how to help Hiccup, and she would know how to boost his recovery ten-fold. There was no arguing about what their destination was.

But she was also worried, because if something happened where Hiccup needed to land and rest, there weren't any islands or sea stacks to land on, and they hadn't seen any ever since they started flying. She couldn't help but wonder where they were and how much closer exactly they were to Berk.

She nudged Hiccup, and he looked at her over his shoulder. "How are you getting along?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Fine," he said. "Just fine."

"Are you getting tired?" Astrid asked. She tried not to sound too worried, because she knew if she did that, then Hiccup would automatically go into his "no one can know I feel awful because they will panic" mode.

Hiccup paused for another moment before shrugging. "Yeah, a bit," he admitted, "but it's not bad. We can make it back to Berk, I'm sure of it." He didn't sound so "sure of it", though, but Astrid decided not to mention it.

Hiccup kept cradling his bad arm with his good arm, too, which made Astrid wonder if he was in pain. She always kept from asking, because she _knew_ he was in pain. It was obvious by his tense muscles and occasional wince or grimace. She wished they had medical supplies, even if it was something small and simple like burn salves or bandages, or even a sling. But no, they hadn't brought any of that along.

They would have to bring some to Dragon's Edge the next time they went there.

Stormfly flew directly underneath Toothless should something happen where Hiccup couldn't control Toothless' tailfin, and the others kept a wary distance as well for the same reason.

For the most part, Astrid's job was making sure Hiccup didn't fall off Toothless sideways, along with asking him if he was alright and if they needed to land as soon as a sea stack or island came into view. Hiccup sat straight in the saddle most of the time, but sometimes, Astrid let him lean against her with his head on her shoulder when he grew fatigued, which wasn't very seldom.

And so they continued flying.

"This is so boring," Tuffnut groaned. "It's just... _flying_. No danger at all."

"I know," Ruffnut said.

"But no danger is good, right?" Hiccup offered slowly, his voice thick. "At least then everyone's safe." He sighed and leaned back again, rubbing at his eyes. "Why does the sun always have to be so _bright?"_

He didn't get an answer, because all of a sudden, the dragons stopped moving and growled in perfect unison. Hiccup leaned forward, trying to get a good look at Toothless' face. Toothless' eyes were wide, and he glanced at the sky behind them nervously.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hey, girl," Fishlegs said, rubbing the side of Meatlug's head gently. "What is it?"

"Whatever it is," Hiccup said, "if it's scaring the dragons, then it isn't good news."

Astrid agreed with him. She put her hand out, and a moment later, Stormfly flew to meet it, nuzzling Astrid's palm before stiffening once again, her eyes glued to the sky behind them.

"That's really weird!" Snotlout said. "Nothing can scare Hookfang! Not even when I'm in danger!"

" _None_ of us are scared when _you're_ in danger!" Astrid called back.

And then they saw it. Two Black Rains, flying straight towards them. Even from the distance they could tell what kind of dragons they were in a heartbeat. They roared in fury, their front teeth dripping with venom.

"Black Rains!?" Fishlegs shrieked. "But - but how! We left them on that island! They shouldn't be here!"

"They must have followed us," Hiccup said slowly and worriedly. "Okay, basic maneuvers. Diamond formation, and we'll split up in all different directions as soon as they reach us. No one get hit. There're only two of them, and they can't follow us all."

Astrid couldn't help but notice the waver in his voice and the paleness of his face. He looked ready to pass out as it was earlier, but now, he looked even worse. "Hiccup-" Astrid tried.

"Go!" Hiccup cut her off. "Astrid, get on Stormfly. She needs a rider, or she won't know what to do."

Astrid didn't want to leave him by a long shot, but at the same time, she knew he was right. She would just have to keep a close eye on him from Stormfly.

Oh, wait.

That wasn't going to work, because they had to split up as soon as the Black Rains got close enough to attack.

She groaned in frustration, but obeyed Hiccup's wishes and jumped on Stormfly's back. She flew alongside Hiccup and Toothless, keeping a close distance.

The Black Rains were coming up fast, and they weren't happy. They were growling and roaring in fury, and it only added to the worry of the other riders.

The Black Rains shot venom into the air, and Astrid watched it closely. She had to see if they were related or not, so she would know if there was a chance of them surviving if one of them got hit by it.

The Black Rain venom collided with each other, but it sizzled and crackled in mid air before crashing into the ocean.

Which meant that they weren't related.

Which meant that this was it.

They would either run the Black Rains off…

...Or die trying.


	7. Chapter 7

**When I was...  
...a young boy...  
...my mother...  
WAS TAKEN BY DRAGONS DURING A RAID AND LEFT ME AND MY FATHER HELPLESS, AND THEN I SHOT DOWN A NIGHT FURY AND HURT ITS TAILFIN AND THEN MY FATHER DISOWNED ME AND I KILLED THE RED DEATH AND LOST MY LEG AND EVERYTHING WAS ALRIGHT AGAIN AND I _STILL_ DON'T KNOW WHO I AM! **

**...To see a marching band...**

 **Sorry for the randomness! :D Here's chapter 7! :D**

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"Are you all ready?" Hiccup called. He was at the front of their diamond formation, despite how many times Astrid told him to get behind the others. His voice was thick, but he managed to get it across to the other riders.

"Ready!" they shouted back.

"Alright!" Hiccup put his eyes forward again. He felt exhausted, but more than that, he felt that at any given moment, he would faint dead away without being able to stay awake. He shook his head in an attempt to wake himself up more. The Black Rains were approaching. He didn't have time to think about himself.

His arm was burning, and it felt as though the Black Rains were still spitting poison onto it, but he couldn't think about that, either. He held on to Toothless' saddlehorn with his good hand, his bad arm hanging limply at his side.

"Ready," Hiccup started. The Black Rains were close now. Thirty feet away, maybe. Hiccup wondered if their venom was effective at long range. "Set," Hiccup went on. The Black Rains were right on top of them now, nearly fifteen feet away and closing. Fifteen feet...ten feet...five feet… "NOW!" Hiccup screamed.

The riders scattered in opposite directions, flying North, South, East, and West. Toothless spun between the Black Rains, narrowly avoiding death by venom. He hovered, and Hiccup watched to see who the venomous dragons were targeting.

One of them followed Snotlout, and the others instantly turned to back him up.

The second one, however, went straight for Hiccup.

Toothless shot towards the ocean, jerking Hiccup and nearly flinging him out of the saddle. Hiccup hung on for dear life, trying to keep from passing out. This was horrible, knowing his friends were in trouble and not being able to help them very much.

Well, he could help them by keeping the Black Rain that was following him busy.

Toothless shot back into the sky, and the Black Rain followed in pursuit. Toothless barrel rolled out of the way of a bucket's worth of poison and continued flying. Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at the Black Rain: it was closing, and it was closing fast. Hiccup couldn't make Toothless go any faster. He was having a hard enough time avoiding the venom flying through the air while also keeping Toothless airborne at the same time.

The dragon was closer, and Hiccup looked ahead of them again. He would have to get rid of the Black Rain, or else, it would get bored with him and go after his friends.

"Wait for it, Toothless," Hiccup whispered. "Three...two...one...GO! Multiple blast!"

Toothless spun around and fired a plasma blast straight at the Black Rain. He continued: two blasts, three blasts, four, five… The Black Rain shrieked and roared, flailing its wings helplessly. At length, it shook its head, roared at Toothless, and, to Hiccup's pleasure, turned and flew in the opposite direction, back towards the island in which it had come from.

"Ah," Hiccup breathed. "Hopefully we never see that guy again." His head was throbbing now, pounding as though someone were hitting a forge hammer against it, but he ignored it as Toothless doubled back around to help get rid of the second Black Rain.

The other riders were doing a great job of it for the most part, and that was relieving. Toothless fired a plasma blast at the Black Rain, and the venomous dragon turned and roared. Hookfang fired a blast at it, and it headed towards Snotlout.

However, as the dragon turned, its tail slapped Astrid right off Stormfly. She shrieked and screamed, falling towards the ocean.

"ASTRID!" he shouted. Toothless instantly turned and dove after her, but Hiccup was worried about the distance between them. There was no way he would be able to reach her before she hit the ocean. There was no way…

No. He would reach her. _He would reach her_. He had to reach her. He wouldn't have it any other way. He was going to grab her, catch her, and everything was going to be alright. His head throbbed, his arm burned, and he was sure he was going to pass out at any given moment, but he didn't stop.

They were going down too fast. Far too fast. Stormfly was trying to reach Astrid as well, but she was even farther away than Hiccup and Toothless were. They were going in too hard. But Hiccup didn't pull up. If anything, he told Toothless to go faster. He could do it. He could reach her.

No. He _would_ do it. He _would_ reach her. He would have to. He wouldn't _ever_ have it _any_ other way, never in a thousand years and a day. Never. He would reach her. He had to reach her. He would do it. He _would_.

He reached his hand towards her - his bad arm, but he didn't care. He ignored the painful feeling stretching out the limb brought, and held it out to Astrid further. The ocean was only just barely below them now. If he didn't grab her now, it would be too late.

His fingers wrapped around her wrist, and Toothless pulled up, just before they slammed into the ocean. Astrid's screaming cut off abruptly and turned into giddy laughs. Stormfly flew in underneath her, and Hiccup let her go after making sure she would land on Stormfly when he did.

Hiccup looked upwards as Hookfang, Meatlug, Barf and Belch and the other riders scared off the second and final Black Rain. It retreated without even roaring in anger, flying back towards its home island.

Hiccup breathed a breath of relief. His mind felt foggy, his eyelids heavy. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving him to feel exhausted.

"Hiccup!?" That was Astrid's voice, and it came from directly beside him. He felt her put her hand on his shoulder, and opened his eyes just a crack to look at her. His vision was blurry, and he felt incredibly dizzy.

"Astrid, look!" Snotlout shouted from ahead of them. "I think I can see Berk!"

"Hey, you're right!" Ruffnut said.

"I hate it when he's right," Tuffnut grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Well, hurry up, then!" Astrid shouted at them. "I don't think Hiccup can hold out much longer!" She turned Stormfly so that the dragon was flying directly beside Toothless - literally. Their sides were pressed together, Stormfly's wing underneath Toothless' body to help keep him aloft while Hiccup struggled to remain conscious. Astrid put her arm around Hiccup's shoulders to help him stay stable, but even then, it was hard.

"Hang on," she whispered. "Just hang in there. We're almost home."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, guys! So, here's chapter 8! Thank you all SO much for all of your encouraging reviews! They mean SO much to me! :D So, I don't think this'll be much longer...maybe one or two chapters at tops. The last chapter should be really sweet, so...ya. :D Enjoy chapter 8! :D**

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The dragons touched down almost directly in front of the Chief's house. As soon as they landed and stopped moving, Hiccup fell forward, and would have hit the ground if Astrid hadn't steadied him. She helped get him off Toothless, and the others around them dismounted their dragons as well.

"Ast...Astrid…" Hiccup whispered. "I...I might pass out…"

Astrid pulled his arm over her shoulder and held it there, her other arm around his waist. She kissed his temple without fully thinking about what she was doing. "I know," she said. "I know, just hang on. Let's get you inside." She turned and looked at the other riders, who were looking at her and Hiccup with concern. "Go get Gothi," Astrid ordered. "Tell her to come here, now. And make sure she knows she has to hurry."

The others nodded and took off - all of them, even though only one of them really needed to go get the healer. Astrid then began the task of half-dragging Hiccup to the front door of his house.

...

Stoick paced back and forth in front of Gobber in the main room of the Chief's house. "They should be back by now," Stoick said, reasoning to himself out loud. "They should be, but they're not."

"Stoick," Gobber said calmly, "they probably got sidetracked. You know how much those kids love dragons."

Stoick sighed. "Sidetracked...overnight?" he questioned.

Gobber shrugged, which could have meant anything. "I think you're overreacting," he said. "Hiccup and the others probably stopped to wait out the storm."

" _What_ storm, Gobber?" Stoick said angrily. "There hasn't been a storm that would down dragons for the past month or so, and it's not going to happen all of a sudden without anyone noticing it."

"Like I said," the blacksmith said, "I think you're taking it a little too seriously. They'll be fine, you'll see."

Stoick sat down across from his friend. "They said they'd be back before nightfall," he said. "And it's the middle of the afternoon now. They've been gone for nearly twenty four hours. Aren't you just a _little_ bit worried?"

"Ah, not really," Gobber said. "Don't worry about it, Stoick. I'm sure that any minute now, they'll be back safe and sound."

As if on cue, the door was kicked open so hard one of the hinges may have snapped. Astrid stood in the doorway, holding onto a barely conscious Hiccup that looked ready to collapse.

"I could be wrong," Gobber said lamely.

"Hiccup!" Stoick gasped, jumping from his seat and racing over his son and Astrid.

"Stoick, he's hurt," Astrid panted out as Stoick reached them. "Bad." She stumbled briefly, and Stoick reached out to take Hiccup from her. Hiccup mumbled something under his breath, shaking his head feverishly when his father steadied him with his hands on his shoulders.

"Dad," Hiccup murmured. He shook his head again, and his eyelids fluttered. "Dad," he whispered again.

"I'm here, son," Stoick assured him. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He looked ready to scoop Hiccup into his arms and carry him, but Hiccup stopped him.

"No, s'alright," he slurred. "I c'n walk…"

None of the ones present seemed open to the idea of letting Hiccup walk, but Stoick ended up nodding, putting his arm around Hiccup's shoulder blades and leading him upstairs to his room.

"Astrid, go get Gothi," Stoick called to her.

"The others are already on it," Astrid replied. She thought about other useful things she could do to help them out, and decided on one. "I'll get some water," she said. Whatever she got now, they didn't have to worry about getting later, and Astrid was almost positive Gothi was going to want to clean Hiccup's burns. She raced outside, grabbing a bucket on her way out, and made a break for the well.

She would explain to Stoick and Gobber what happened when she got back, if the others didn't beat her to it.

Meanwhile, when Stoick finally got his son upstairs, Hiccup crawled into his bed and curled into himself in a fetal position. He wanted to sleep. That was all he wanted to do. He wanted to shut his eyes and stay asleep for a long time. His arm hurt, but he was so exhausted that he could barely feel it anymore. The pain was dulled and unnoticeable. All he wanted to do was sleep.

He felt his blanket being pulled over his body, and he cracked his eyes open to look at his father. Stoick ran his hand over Hiccup's hair, and stopped when he laid eyes on Hiccup's arm.

"Hiccup," he said, taking Hiccup's wounded limb and examining it carefully. Hiccup bit the inside of his cheek to keep from moaning in pain. "What did this?" Stoick said. There was a rising anger in his tone that made Hiccup wince. He hated seeing his father angry. "Hiccup, what did this to you?" Stoick asked, sounding more demanding this time than he had been the first time.

Hiccup felt too tired to answer. He tried to move his arm from his father's firm yet careful grip, but felt too weak to even move his arm an inch. "It's nothing," he murmured, his eyes shutting on their own. "Just...just some...burns…"

 _"Burns?"_ Stoick blurted, and Hiccup winced again, this time in pain. His father's booming voice wasn't helping anything, especially the throbbing in his head. "Hiccup, _what did this to you?"_

This time, Hiccup couldn't help but moan in pain. It was getting unbearable now. He wanted his father to let go of his arm, and he squirmed, but could barely move anything at all. Almost instantly, as soon as he groaned, Stoick's eyes softened, and he sat down on the edge of the bed, releasing Hiccup's arm much to the boy's relief.

"Sorry, son," Stoick said.

"S'alright," Hiccup murmured. He didn't think he would be able to stay awake for much longer, but he wanted to tell his father that _at least_ he didn't have to apologize. "Not your fault...m'tired…"

"Then you should rest," Stoick said.

Hiccup hardly heard what his father had said, already letting his body surrender to the sleep it so desperately wanted. He let himself relax, and succumb to the peaceful slumber that washed over him.

Stoick watched him for a few more minutes before turning and heading back downstairs, just around the time Astrid returned with a bucket of water in her grip. Stoick nodded in her direction.

"Please have a seat, Astrid," he said, gesturing to a stool. "We have a lot to talk about."


	9. Chapter 9

**AAAAANND here's the second to last chapter! :D I'm going to be doing another Race to the Edge based fanfiction sometime soon called "The Isle of the Mender." Hopefully, that should be pretty cool, so look out for that. :D Enjoy chapter 9! :D**

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Astrid told him everything, from the minute they landed on the island of the Black Rains to the moment they returned home. Stoick and Gobber listened alike, nodding when it was appropriate, gasping when Astrid told them how Hiccup had gotten hurt, along with the seriousness of the entire situation...it was a lot to take in, and Astrid figured it would probably take a while for them to process.

"It's _all_ true?" Stoick asked; he was the first one to speak since Astrid finished her tale, and he sounded utterly shocked. He glanced back up at Hiccup's loft. Since Astrid had began her story, Toothless had entered the house and rushed up the stairs, and since then, he had been keeping a close eye on Hiccup. But Astrid could still see that Stoick was worried, and she understood that. She was worried for Hiccup's health, too, of course.

"It's good that you kids found out how to stop the venom," Gobber said from where he was sitting across from Astrid and Stoick. "Now we know what to do if those nasty things come to Berk."

"It only works if they're related to each other, Gobber," Astrid said. "And I hope we never have to see a Black Rain ever again, especially not here on Berk." She thought about it for a moment: those monstrous dragons wreaking havoc, shooting people with their deadly venom, burning down buildings and destroying lives. She shook her head violently. She didn't want to think about it too much. It made her feel sick.

Stoick nodded, and as soon as he did so, the door of the house burst open, and Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins tumbled through it, landing in a heaping pile of bodies, their arms and legs twisted bizarrely.

"Keep it down!" Stoick snapped. "Hiccup's trying to sleep."

Gothi walked through the door as Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut were still trying to get up. She stepped over their bodies and went straight for the stairs. Astrid and Stoick followed her closely while Gobber told the others to stay behind, Astrid grabbing the bucket of water she had brought and taking it with her upstairs.

Gothi began her examination, starting with checking Hiccup's temperature, heartbeat, and breathing. She nodded to Astrid and Stoick (which they guessed meant nothing serious was wrong), and then went to Hiccup's arm. She frowned at the burns, running her finger over one of them and looking at the black splotches intently. Hiccup stirred for a brief moment, but did not wake. Gothi set his arm back down on the bed and looked at Astrid and Stoick.

"Black Rain venom," Astrid explained. "We managed to stop it before he reached his arm, but that's what did it. Will he be okay?"

Gothi didn't answer right away, which made them worried. Then, she stepped back and opened a small pouch of dirt, which she then proceeded to dump on the floor. She began drawing in it with her staff, and Astrid and Stoick looked at the runes intently.

"I'll go get Gobber," Astrid said, and promptly left for downstairs to get the blacksmith. "Gobber, we need your help," she said. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut were sitting on the ground, and they jumped to their feet as soon as Astrid entered the room.

"Well, how is he?" Fishlegs asked as Gobber stood up from his seat and headed upstairs. As much as Astrid wanted to follow him, she decided to stay and tell the others what she had learned.

"No heart problems," Astrid said, "which means that the venom didn't get very far...and no breathing issues, either. And no fever."

"But what about a scar?" Tuffnut asked. "Did he get a scar?"

"I want a scar!" Ruffnut complained.

"Would you two muttonheads shut up?" Snotlout snapped. To their surprise, the twins actually listened. "Anything else, Astrid?" he asked as soon as the twins had fallen silent due to his command.

"No, that's all I know," Astrid admitted. "Gobber's going to translate Gothi's writings, and then we'll see what the real damage is. For now...you guys can go take care of your dragons. They're probably starving."

Although they looked reluctant to leave, they did so, telling Astrid to let them know when she learned more about Hiccup and his injury. After they were gone, Astrid turned and headed back up the stairs.

"Aha," Gobber said as she stepped into Hiccup's loft. "She says that he'll need to swim in a beet - ow!" Gothi whacked him with her staff, and Gobber quickly reread what she had written. "He'll need a _sling_ for a few _weeks_!" Gobber corrected. "Huh...are you sure that's not a beet?"

Gothi raised her staff warningly, and Gobber shut himself up. "She also says that he'll be…" He squinted at the writing and looked back at Gothi. "Out of it for a while," he continued. Gothi nodded. "So, it's best to make sure he stays dead - OUCH, I meant _in bed!"_

"I'm at the conclusion that Fishlegs should have translated," Astrid groaned. She was tempted to go out and find Fishlegs just so he could translate and they didn't have to suffer with Gobber's translation anymore, but Gobber was already finished by the way he stepped back and regarded Gothi warily.

"So, that's it?" Stoick said. "Just make sure he rests and keeps his arm in a sling?"

Gothi nodded. When Astrid looked back at Hiccup, she saw that his arm had been wrapped securely in bandages and in a sling tied around his shoulder. He was still sleeping peacefully, and Astrid couldn't help but smile, if faintly.

"He'll get better, then?" she asked Gothi. "In a few weeks he can take it off, you said?"

Gothi nodded yet again and left the abode shortly afterwards. Toothless bumped Astrid from behind, and Astrid patted the dragon's head.

"It's okay, Toothless," Astrid assured him. "Hiccup's fine."

As Astrid said those words, she realized how right she really was.

Hiccup was alright, and that was the most important thing.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, guys! This is THE LAST chapter to this story, and then we're done! Whoopededoo! Wow! Thanks for all the reviews, guys! They mean a lot to me! :D I started writing a new story called "Come Little Children", which will be getting an update today, too, so WHEE. :D I hope you all enjoy this last chapter! :D**

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Astrid knocked on the door of Hiccup's house the next morning and folded her hands subconsciously as she waited for someone to let her in. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about Hiccup the previous day, and she decided that, if he was up to it, she would have a little "talk" with him.

That, and Gobber asked her to bring some soup over to the Haddocks, which she was also doing.

After a few more moments, Stoick answered the door and regarded her with a nod. "Good morning, Astrid," he greeted. He stepped aside to let her in, and Astrid accepted his invitation.

"Good morning," Astrid replied. "Um...how are you?" She was carrying a small pail of soup in her hand, and she set it down on the table. "Gobber asked me to bring something for Hiccup by," she said. "And so here it is."

"Aye, thanks, lass," Stoick said. He took his helmet off the hook on the wall and put it on his head before walking towards the door. "You're welcome to go see Hiccup if you like. He woke up earlier asking to see you."

"Oh," Astrid said. "Thank you, Stoick."

Stoick nodded. "I'll be back," he said. He pushed the door open and headed outside without another word. Astrid knew he had Chiefly duties to attend to, and as much as he wanted to stay with Hiccup, he had to check on the village before that, and Astrid understood that.

She found a bowl and a spoon, and after pouring some of the soup into the bowl, she took it in hand and made her way upstairs.

She knocked on the doorframe. "Knock knock," she called quietly, in case Hiccup was sleeping. If he was resting, then she didn't want to disturb him, especially since Gothi said he needed to rest if he was going to heal.

"Come in?" Hiccup's voice said back, and Astrid stepped up the last stairs and into Hiccup's room. He was leaning heavily against the headboard of his bed, still looking pale but not as pale as he had looked before, which made Astrid relieved.

"Hey," Astrid said, crossing the room and sitting down on the edge of the bed, setting the bowl of soup on the desk.

"Hey," Hiccup replied.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Astrid spoke again. "So, how are you feeling?"

Hiccup shrugged. "I've been better," he said. "It doesn't hurt as much anymore. It really only hurts when I move it."

"That's why," Astrid said, "you're not _supposed_ to move it. That's what your sling is for. Keeping it _still_." She patted his shoulder, where his sling was tied.

Hiccup frowned. "I know," he said. "I'm just...the dragons _had_ to get my left arm. I can't _do anything_ without my left arm. I'm left-handed." He lifted his right hand and grabbed his charcoal off the table. Afterwards, he proceeded to attempt to write his name on a piece of paper. He handed it to Astrid when he had finished, and she could barely make out what the writing said.

"See?" Hiccup said as Astrid set the piece of paper down on the desk. "I need my left hand."

"You're not moving your left hand, or your left arm, Hiccup," Astrid said firmly, but not harshly. "Sorry."

Another bout of awkward silence.

"Here," Astrid grabbed the bowl off the table and presented it to Hiccup. "It's soup...Oh, don't give me that face."

"I'm sorry, Astrid," Hiccup said, but he didn't sound apologetic. "It's just that...have you _tasted_ your cooking? Your cooking could kill more Berserkers than a battle axe. No offense, of course."

"None taken," Astrid growled. "And I didn't make it. I think Gobber did."

Hiccup sighed in relief. "Good," he said. "If you put it that way, I'll take it."

Astrid paused. "Is my cooking _really_ that bad?" she asked.

"Well," Hiccup said, "I got food poisoning for a week after you made me dinner, so if that isn't any indication…"

"I'd punch you if you weren't already hurt."

"I am well aware of that."

Astrid sighed, yet decided that arguing with him was getting her no where. Besides, she actually thought he was right. She had only tasted her Yaknog once, and she would never, _ever_ taste it again. Not for the life of her.

She scooped a spoonful of soup onto the spoon and held it out to Hiccup. "Open your mouth," she said.

Hiccup blinked. "I can eat by myself, Astrid," he said lamely.

"No you can't," Astrid said. "Left-handed, remember? You said it yourself. You can't do anything without your left hand."

Hiccup sighed, yet complied, opening his mouth. He didn't complain, which made Astrid relieved. She couldn't _stand_ it when he complained.

After the bowl was empty, another awkward silence (yet a third one, actually) settled between the two of them. Neither one of them spoke for a good long while.

"Hiccup," Astrid said at length, "I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay, sure," Hiccup said. "What is it?"

Astrid twiddled her thumbs. "I asked you why you shoved me out of the way of the Black Rain venom," she said, "but you didn't exactly answer me. So...I was...I was just wondering, you know...why you did that."

Hiccup shrugged, his movements small. "I...I actually...I don't think I know, to be frank," he admitted. "I just...I just saw you in danger, and I...I couldn't stay away. I thought about doing it, but then...I guess it just sort of happened. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Yeah, but why?" Astrid questioned.

"Why is this so important to you?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid sighed. "Because I want to remember what you say, right now," she said.

Now it was Hiccup's turn to sigh. "You're my...well...you're my friend," he said. "And...and I suppose...maybe…maybe beyond 'friend.' But I would die a hundred times over if it meant you were safe."

"Yeah, sure," Astrid said. "But _why_ would you do it, Hiccup? Why?"

"Because I love you," Hiccup blurted. "I love you, Astrid, and if something happened to you I would never forgive myself. I loved you ever since you were six and tried to fight off the Flightmare. I've loved you ever since, and the thought of anything ever happening to you makes me...it makes me...feel like if something happened to you, part of myself would...I don't know. Die?"

Astrid blinked at him. Was he _serious?_ "Hiccup-" she tried.

"Alright, I said it," he said. "I love you. I never want anything to happen to you, ever. And when I saw the Black Rain so close, and its venom...what it did to that Nadder, I guess...I guess…" He looked up at her, his bangs falling in his eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

Astrid blinked at him once again. Then, she balled her fist and smacked his good shoulder - hard.

"Yeouch!" Hiccup yowled. "What!? Why would you DO that!?"

"That," Astrid said, "is for not telling me sooner."

Then, before he could protest, she leaned in and kissed him.

"And that," she said as soon as she had pulled away, "is because I love you, too."

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 **Author's Notes:**

 **I really want a scene like this or something in a future Race to the Edge episode. Like, Hiccup gets hurt protecting Astrid, Astrid asks him why he did it, and he tells her that he loves her…**

 **Gah. Please tell me I'm not the only one who wants something like that.**

 **ANYWHO, I hope you all enjoyed this story! I had a blast writing it. :D So...as usual…**

 **Until next story! :D**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


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